A vehicle tire generally has two annular bead rings at the innermost diameter, which provide the tire with hoop strength and structural integrity. The beads also provide stiffness at the point where the tire mounts to a rim. Beads are generally manufactured by winding metal wire in a groove on the outer periphery of a chuck or drum, often called a former. A bead may also be formed from a single wire.
Often, a single manufacturing facility may produce several types of beads with varying sizes and shapes. Several parameters of the beads are generally measured after the manufacturing process for purposes of quality control to ensure a high-quality final product. For example, certain parameters of the beads often must fall within a tolerance of 0.005 inches to meet the established quality standards. Parameters that are typically measured may include the inner diameter, height, width, and weight of the tire bead. Some existing measurement devices contact the tire bead when taking a measurement, thereby potentially distorting the tire bead during the measurement and potentially hiding defects.
It is therefore desired to provide an accurate and precise measurement system that can measure a variety of types and sizes of tire beads without undue contact to the tire bead during the measurement process.